An Unexpected Meeting
by BrokenTheories
Summary: Otonashi Yuzuru, still feeling a little unused to the fact that he's dead, has an unexpected run-in with a girl who seriously loves reading mangas. Though, the girl may be closer to him than he thinks.
1. You Seem Familiar

"Hey, Otonashi." Iwasawa walked back into the classroom where the band was awaiting their lead guitarist slash vocalist, but not before turning around and throwing her half drank water bottle towards the orange haired boy, "Coffee's good, but drink water sometimes. Keep it up, you'll do fine around Yurippe and the others."

Well, Otonashi surely did not expect that coming. At the time, he didn't even remember his own memories, just his name. But Iwasawa told him everything about her past, how her parents constantly fight with one another, how she got into music, how she thrived in the real world to make her dream a reality, and the fatal blow that slowly made her life fade away. Of course he felt grateful and all that she would even tell him that kind of stuff, but.. of all the people, why him?

While he was busy daydreaming, a girl appeared out of nowhere and bumped into him. She was carrying a whole horde of manga books, and they all fell when the two of them collided.

"Sorry, sorry.. I didn't mean to.." The girl spoke, her voice a little similar to Tenshi, except she had a cheerful tone while Tenshi's practically emotionless.

"Ah, no.. its my fault for standing in the middle of the hallway." Otonashi crouched down and helped the girl, picking up the mangas and stacking them on top of one another, "Let me help you. Its gotta be heavy carrying all these by yourself, right?"

"Umm.. well.. if its not too much trouble.." The girl held up the others , pressing it against her chest, "Umm.. my room's.. in the girl's dorm.. so.."

"Ah, no sweat." Otonashi said with a smile, right before he noticed the similar hair color they shared. Even though it wasn't anything special, she was still the first girl he'd seen with the same hair color as him in this afterlife school so far. "I've been in Yurippe's room too many times to count. So ah, if you don't mind, I could help you put it outside your room, so I don't really have to go in."

"Its not that.. really its not.. its just.." The girl's face flushed red when she heard him say that he's been in a girl's room that many times. She's read enough mangas to know what guys tend to do in those situations. Was he going to do the same thing to her if he gets the chance? "Oh dear God.."

"Huh? What's God got to do with this?" Otonashi started walking forward. Since he already said it out, he wasn't going to pretend that he didn't know the way to the girl's dormitory. Still, he thought, what a strange NPC this girl is.

"N.. Nothing. Sorry, sorry.." The girl apologized frequently, even though there was nothing wrong. Once again, her voice reminded Otonashi of the Student Council President, but he wonders if Tenshi ever apologized to anyone about anything. She certainly didn't apologize to him after stabbing him with that thing growing out of her hand.

After arriving at the front of the girl's room, Otonashi sat the books down and heaved a sigh of relief. Even though those were just mangas, they were heavy as two tonnes of rocks put into a bag. I can't shoot a gun well enough, I'm probably out of shape, I'll probably be nothing more than a nuisance to Yurippe, Hinata and the others, he thought.

"Umm.." The girl fished a pair of keys from her pocket and unlocked the door to her room, even though she was nervous, she wanted to thank him for carrying her mangas all the way to her room, "Would you like to.. umm.. come in.. for tea?"

"You sure its okay?" Otonashi scratched the back of his head, "I don't wanna invade your privacy or anything, plus, its pretty late."

"Only if you want to.. I mean.. Its okay.. with me." Her face flushed once more. Something about her tells Otonashi that she didn't speak to boys all that much. But then again, she's an NPC just like most of the school.

Since Otonashi had already helped the girl take all her mangas to her room, he wouldn't be surprised if her room was filled with it. But what shocked him was..

"Its completely normal.."

"Huh?" The girl opened her closet and started arranging the mangas, sorting them by name and volume, then neatly placing them inside. "What.. do you mean?"

"Your room." Otonashi sat down on the cusion right beside the table and crossed his legs, "I half expected you to have all those posters and figurines and other stuff."

"They don't have it here.. " She continued her arranging, but stopped halfway after thinking that she should go make the tea first.

Every room was pretty much the same in the afterlife school. Thoguh there are some rooms with a single bed instead of a double decker one. There's a tiny kitchen in between the door and the sleeping area, complete with a mini refrigerator. There's a lounging area just beside the bed, and a reading desk, filled with text books and writing utensils. One could also get a laptop if they appealed to the Student Council President. Usually, one would be paired up with a roommate, but there are some people who prefer staying alone. Even Yurippe once told Otonashi that she kicked her roommate out because she was too boring and annoying.

Even if the thought of staying with an NPC weirded him out, Otonashi didn't have the heart to kick his roommate out like Yurippe did.

"Here, tea's ready." The girl held the small tea pot by its handle and placed a cloth below it before putting it down on the table. Then, she grabbed two cups, washing them before walking back to Otonashi, sitting across from him, pouring the light green tea into the cups.

"You know, you don't seem like a normal NPC.." Otonashi thought, but inadvertantly spoke out loud. Once he realized, he immediately apologized, "Sorry, sorry. What I meant to say was.. if you like, you should join the SSS. Its just a hunch, but I think you'd enjoy it there. There's lots of fun people.. they're always willing to help me out, even when there's lots of things I'm bad at."

Otonashi went on and on about this group. The girl had no idea that such a thing existed, since its not listed in the extra curricular activities, but she listened anyway. From what he had explained, the group seemed like a fun place to be.

"There's Yurippe, the always strong hearted leader of the group, but don't ever cross her though. I've heard that she gives really, really extreme punishments for people who fail her orders." Otonashi laughed lightly, "But I'm sure its just a rumor. Oh yeah, there's Hinata. The goofy guy who always manages to make me smile, even when I'm having a bad day. I'm sure you've heard of the band Girls Dead Monster as well. They're a part of our so called 'diversion squad'. There are others too.."

Shinda Sekai Sensen.. The Afterlife Battlefront, she thought. It might be a fun place to join, but she just wanted a normal school life. After all, that's what she truly desired, even if she had no memories of her past before she came here, just a short scene of her saying, 'Thank you', surrounded by lights.

Otonashi went on the explain about the SSS as a group. Turns out they formed it awhile ago to rebel against God. The girl didn't know why they wanted to do that, but it seemed like they have their own reasons.

"I don't think I'm.. fit to rebel against God.. though.." The girl said timidly, keeping her voice low, afraid that God himself would overhear her talking about a rebellion, "I mean.. I'm happy.. I'm really happy that God gave me this chance.. to be here."

Otonashi did not expect those words, but when he really thought about it, it was true. He was really glad to have met the SSS members and became friends with them. If he hadn't, he wouldn't know what to do in this world. Plus, its not like he has anything against God or whatever, he just wanted to find a place where he belonged. And that was the Afterlife Battlefront.

"I'm sorry.. really really sorry.. if I offended your group.." The girl humbly apologized, even going as far as bowing her head in shame, "I'm really, really really sorry.."

"Its okay! Honestly!" Otonashi leaned over the table and patted her shoulders, "What you said was partly true as well. Rebelling against God is the Battlefront's main focus.. but that's not all we do. We have fun, we play sports.. we slack around.. its like anything any other high school student would do."

The girl nodded, holding back the urge to apologize once more. She took a sip of her warm tea and sighed, Its the first time she's ever had anyone over to her room for tea. Heck, its the first time she's had anyone over for anything, for that matter.

"Its a little late, I might have to go now. I don't wanna get Tenshi angry." Otonashi mumbled, finishing the rest of his tea before standing up.

"Al.. alright then.. it was nice talking to you." She smiled gently, and deep inside Otonashi's heart, something tingled. He recognized this smile. "Thank you for helping me earlier, really.. thank you."

"You sound.. familiar." Otonashi headed towards the door, "Nah.. I'm just a little tired. By the way, I'm Otonashi. I can't remember my first name.. so its all anyone can call me for now."

"Hmm.. that's.. weird." The girl opened the door and helped Otonashi out before formally greeting him, "I don't remember my last name, but my first name is Hatsune. It was really nice talking to you, Otonashi-kun. I hope we can meet again sometime!"


	2. My Song

Author's Note :

Due to my hatred of writing short stories with only a few chapters, I shall prolong this series to at least a few more chapters! ANGEL BEATS FTW!

* * *

><p>That night, Yurippe had Otonashi and a few others follow her when she wanted to find out more about Tenshi's powers. What better way than to break in to an innocent little girl's room. Yurippe and Hinata have been in there before, along with Oyama and Cha. Of course, that was before they formed the SSS to rebel against God. To be more specific, that was <em>during<em> the formation of their group.

Yurippe remembered that the first time they entered her room, it looked like any other ordinary girl's room. She even took one of Tenshi's swimsuits because she thought it might have been an armor that provided her with her weird powers, and partly because it just looked so cute. Of course, now that Tenshi wasn't in the room, she could examine it further.

Once they unlocked the door to Tenshi's room and went in, Otonashi started having second thoughts. He thought that the SSS was about rebelling against God, not violating a girl's personal space! But it was too late anyways. He had seen Tenshi demonstrate her powers first hand. The moment he arrived here into this Afterlife School, he was stabbed by Tenshi's Hand Sonic after asking her to prove that he was dead.

He rubbed his chest, remembering the pain he felt when the blade pierced his flesh. Of course, Noda giving him 100 strikes with his halberd as soon as he woke up wasn't a great feeling either. He was surprised though, by the room's ordinary appearance. It looked nothing like he expected. In fact, it was identical to Hatsune's room. Speaking of Hatsune, he wondered what that girl was doing right now.

Probably reading mangas, he thought.

The girl didn't seem like an NPC, as Yurippe would say. She definitely had her own personality, and she can even converse in a normal way. Otonashi didn't know much about his past, but he remembers those RPG games he used to play, and he could very well confirm that Hatsune wasn't an NPC. She even had the traits of a main character.

If its anyone that could be an NPC, its me, he thought once more, but we all know that's not the case, since I lost my memory.

Otonashi wanted to object when they started hacking Tenshi's computer for anything suspicious. And they did, they found the Angel Player in her desktop. That application showcased all of the Student Council President's powers, from Hand Sonic to Harmonics.

"We better get this done before Tenshi comes back." Yurippe stood beside the computer genius as Hinata and Otonashi stood guard on the door, "How's it going, Takeyama?"

"So far so good." He kept typing the codes and downloaded the files from Tenshi's computer, "And please, call me Christ."

"Whatever, just hurry up!" Yurippe thought about the program she had just seen moments earlier. She wondered how it would feel to have the powers Tenshi has.

No, she thought, I'm here to rebel against God, not use his powers. Who knows how dangerous it might be for a human to use that power.

On the other side of the school, a Girls Dead Monster concert was shortened by the teachers, when they climbed onstage and started confiscating the band's equipment, declaring that the concert was not a registered event and that it was not legal.

When one of the teachers went to take Iwasawa's acoustic guitar, something inside of her snapped. Even though she was being held back by another teacher, and her bandmates were as well, she headbutted the teacher that was holding her arms and speared the one that was holding her guitar. Hisako escaped the teacher as well, running straight towards the school's broadcasting system as one of the teachers almost caught up to her, if not for Yusa hooking his legs, tripping him.

Iwasawa, on the verge of tears, started strumming her guitar. She was surprised when she saw noticed that the melody could be heard throughout the entire school. Then, she started singing. Not the usual spirited rock songs, but a ballad.

Pouring every single ounce of her emotions into her powerful vocals, she strum and sang. No, she wasn't doing this for Yurippe and the others. She wasn't doing this as one of the diversion squads of the SSS, she was doing this as Masami Iwasawa. She was singing for everyone. She was doing the only thing she couldn't do while she was alive.. she sang the songs she wrote..

Even Tenshi had heard her singing and came into the concert area to see it. She didn't stop the broadcasting, and allowed Iwasawa to sing her heart out. Little did she know that the song would be stuck in her head for a very long time.

Everyone was listening, not just the students, but the teachers that were holding them back just a few moments ago, were standing there, dumbfounded. Some of the students cried, especially Yui, who was on the verge of having a waterfall flow from her eyes.

The leader of Girls Dead Monster gave everything she had into that song, and through that song, visions of her life started flashing in front of her eyes, memories when she was alive, striving to be noticed for her talents, until the last days of her death. Even her days in the Afterlife School flashed before her, from her first meeting with Hisako, to their first illegal concert in front of the school, to meeting Irie, Urie, and Sekine. She rememebed the fun times they had, rehearsing and playing in front of the school crowd, getting all the students pumped up and headbanging to their music. She remembered having loads of fun times with the SSS members, eating together in the cafeteria, playing sports. It was as if everything that had happened in her whole life flashed in front of her eyes in less than a second. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry. But it didn't matter. For a long time now, she felt truly.. happy.

After the song was done, Iwasawa looked straight up into the spotlights that were shining down on her, and whispered a silent, 'Thank you, Hisako.. thank you, everyone..'

And just like that, she disappeared, leaving behind the clanking of a guitar against the wooden floor of the stage, leaving the entire arena stunned and silent.

Hatsune stood in the crowd, unsure of what to feel after witnessing the disappearance of Iwasawa. Thought it wasn't the first time she had ever saw someone disappearing just like that. The only reason she was always alone was because most of her friends had moved on from the afterlife. She did have one friend, and.. come to think of it, did Otonashi count as a firend? If he did, then she'd have two.

Her friend was bawling like crazy in the front row of the concert. Since she had always looked up to Iwasawa as an idol, she must have felt truly devastated that Iwasawa just disappeared like that.

"Yui.." Hatsune patted her back, trying to calm her friend down. She knew how much Iwasawa meant to her, as Yui was always talking about how she would love to sing like her and how she hoped that someday, she'll be joining Girls Dead Monster as a member. "Yui, please calm down.."

"B-But Iwasawa.. she.. she.." Yui sobbed into Hatsune's arms and cried against her shirt. From where she was standing, Hatsune noticed the grief on every single member of the band. Irie and Urie were hugging each other and crying, Sekine was trying to keep herself together and calm down the both of them, but she herself was already sobbing.

Hisako walked down from the broadcasting booth and grabbed the microphone from the stand. The exact same microphone Iwasawa was using to sing her last song. Her song. "You've all heard her music, right? You've seen her singing. You've sang along to her lyrics. Even though she's.. physically gone.." Hisako sniffed as she resisted the urge to cry. She couldn't hold it in for long, and tears started to flow down her cheeks, "She'll never be really gone. A part of her is in our hearts.. and that part will live forever. Masami.. she was the one who showed me.. who reminded me of the love I had for music. She reignited that fire inside of me. And I can promise you, as long as that fire is not extinguished, Girls Dead Monster will always, ALWAYS be here!"

As soon as she finished that sentence, her knees gave way as her tears started to fall uncontrollably. The other members of the band went over to hug her, but she couldn't stop her tears.

She remembered the first time they met. Iwasawa had just arrived at this place, and the first thing she did when she found out that she could finally talk again, she ran straight towards the music room and grabbed an acoustic guitar. Iwasawa didn't want to talk. She wanted to sing. That was the first day the school got to hear Iwasawa's amazing voice. And it was right then that Hisako love for music was rekindled.

The first time the two performed together, it was outside the school building, during class. She still remembered that song. Soaring as high as a crow through the clouds, up in the skies. Crow Song.

All those memories, Hisako promised that she would treasure it. She didn't know how she felt inside, "Until next time.. Masami.." Hisako whispered, "Be sure to have a slot in your band.. cause I'm not letting you off just like that.."


	3. High Tension Escape!

"So you're saying that Tenshi is not getting her powers from God, but from that computer program?" Hinata stood there, scratching his head. Even though Yurippe explained it well over three times, she had to constantly remind herself that she's dealing with a bunch of idiots.

"Unbelievable!" The always hyper energetic TK was tapping his foot on the ground, and when he finally couldn't resist it, he started shuffling around the room.

Shiina stood in a dark corner of the room as she always does, and when she noticed TK's shuffling, all she had to say was, "How shallow minded."

It was weird that the SSS members were this active, considering that they just lost an all out baseball tournament to Tenshi's team about a week ago and had to run a hundred laps around the entire school ground. Since they were all already dead, Yurippe had to think of a punishment that was worse than death itself, and she delivered.

"So this is our next mission." Yurippe put on her sailor outfit and pulled the projector screen down, "Operation High Tension Syndrome."

Something inside Otonashi tingled when he heard the name of the operation, and he immediately requested to back out of it, stating that he would help recruit new fans to the next Girls Dead Monster show. Interestingly, Yurippe agreed. Before Otonashi left the club room, a vision of the entire SSS laid out in the clubroom passed his eyes, and he shivered.

"Nothing good will come from participating in that thing." He silently spoke to himself, and decided to get a drink of coffee. He didn't know why, but he was addicted to that stuff. Classes were almost starting. He had a feeling that it was going to be an interesting day, but he did not know the specifics of the operation Yurippe was talking about. He was a little curious, but really relieved when he managed to get himself out of it.

He pressed the button and a can of Key Coffee dropped. He figured it was okay to be a little late for class, since the teachers didn't really care, but one thing stopped him from doing so. The Student Council President was also in the same class as him.

He stood by the railing and looked out onto the horizon, the school grounds looked beautiful from there. Almost heavenly. He chuckled at the thought. But something problematic was stuck in his head, she saw the girl, Hatsune, at the baseball game in an opposing team, but when she saw him, she tensed up and ran away from him.

"As they say, opposites attract." Hinata patted his shoulder after witnessing the scene occur, "Don't give up! Stick with her until she admits her love for you! Let the relationship blossom into something unforgettable!"

Otonashi did remember smacking Hinata's head with a baseball bat a few moments later, but that wasn't the point. Hatsune was so friendly with him when they met the first few times, so why had she started to treat him like some kind of perverted stalker?

With a sigh an unanswered question in his head, he crushed his can and tossed it in the trash, then headed off to class for what was to be a very, very strange day.

* * *

><p>Hatsune curled up in her bed. She felt as if her brain wanted to pounce right out of her head. She knew people here could never get sick, since they were all already dead, but she felt like she was dying all over again, if that were possible. She had been feeling like this ever since the day she talked to that boy, Otonashi.<p>

His face, his hair.. everything about him seemed so familiar, yet.. so confusing. She didn't know if avoiding him would lessen the pain, but she had to try. Everytime she was near him, her mind tried to process him as if he was someone important that she had forgotten.

She remembered him saying that he couldn't remember anything about his past, including his first name. Was it a coincidence, considering that she couldn't remember anything but her first name? She didn't have anything against God, but she figured He must be extremely amused with the situation.

Was her memories finally starting to surface? From her days spent in the Afterlife School, most of her friends had already moved on. After witnessing Iwasawa disappear right in front of her eyes and so many people crying about it, it renewed her grief. She was already here long before the Student Council President, and she was, at one point, offered that position by the Principal of the school, but she declined.

She wanted to live a peaceful life, and maybe.. maybe get a chance to start all over. The memories of her friends made here were so distant that she barely remembered their faces. She knew that most people here had suffered from tragic lives, or had a strong desire to complete something they haven't during their lifetime.

Tragic lives..

Now that she truly thought about it, did she want to remember what her life was like? Does she truly want to remember what kind of horrible life she's had that led her here in the first place?

Now that Yui, her only friend left, was the vocalist for Girls Dead Monster and officially a member of the SSS, they didn't get the chance to talk much. Hatsune still supported her with all her heart, but she felt lonely..

Loneliness.. that feeling felt familiar in her heart. It was depressing, curling up in her bed like that, feeling all alone. But it felt familiar. She closed her eyes, and even when the tears started forming, that's when the dreams started coming.

* * *

><p>Hatsune woke up and found herself staring out the window to her room. No, it wasn't her room. If it was, she was sure that it wouldn't be this plain. She wanted to move around, to explore the place, but every part of her body felt weak. Even when she tried to move her legs, just the slightest bit, she felt tired immediately.<p>

When she glanced at the table beside her, it was full of mangas and light novels. Even though a few of them were the exact same copy, her heart felt warm whenever she glanced at them

She felt really lonely, sitting up on her bed and looking out the window. A bunch of kids were playing soccer, people were walking around, shopping, students were chit chatting.. She wished with all her heart that she would be able to get better and go to a school where she could make friends.

She enjoyed the view, but she did not have a single regret about her life. As bad as her condition was, she kept reminding herself that there are other people out there who have it worse. Many people do not have a loving brother who is willing to take care of them like she has.

Wait, she thought, I.. have a brother?

A loving brother.. and he was late.

At that instant, a few knocks sounded from the door and a familiar sound came from the outside, "Is it okay if I come in, Hatsune?"

"Its okay, Yuzuru Onii-chan." She smiled, "I'm just glad you came here."

As always, he was holding a bag. She knew what was inside, but she asked anyways, "What's inside that, Yuzuru Onii-chan?"

"Ah.." He pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down, then pulled out a manga from the paper bag. He didn't know if it was the same as any of the other issues he'd brought Hatsune before, but she didn't mind. He hoped it was enough to make her happy, since she was the only thing that kept him going all this time.

Hatsune started reading the manga quietly, laughing, but also coughing, when she read the funny parts. Otonashi poured her a glass of water and rubbed her back whenever she coughed and gave her a sip of water. Just seeing his sister happy.. it made him happy, too.

* * *

><p>Fast forward a few months, and it was already winter time. Hatsune felt especially vulnerable at this time of the year, since she was sickly and bedridden. Though, she still didn't mind. Her brother came everyday, and he even promised that he would bring her to see the Christmas Lights in the park. She was looking forward to that, even if her condition was not getting any better. She even had a hard time talking.<p>

She was surprised when her brother came especially early during the evening. He told her that the doctors did not approve of him taking her outside, but for Hatsune, it didn't matter. She just wanted to be with her brother, who meant the world to her. Though she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, since she truly wished to see those beautiful lights.

"You know, Hatsune.." Otonashi looked outside of the ward, making sure that there weren't any nurses or hospital staff nearby. "I'm gonna take you to see the Christmas Lights, if that's what you really want.."

"Can.. we? Really?" She felt tired, but she wanted to. Even if she was too sick to move, she still wanted to see those pretty lights.

"Of course we can, Hatsune. Come on, let's go before the nurses find out." He helped her to sit up from her bed and helped her put on a warm jacket, gloves, socks, a scarf and a hat. He wanted her to be as comfortable as it gets when they get to see the lights.

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><p>That was when her dream faded and she snapped back into reality. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she walked to the kitchen and fumbled for a glass of water. It was already evening when she looked out her windows<p>

When someone knocked on her door, she almost jumped and dropped her glass.

"Umm.. Hatsune?" A familiar voice called from the outside, "Hatsune? Are you there? I wanna talk to you about something."

It was him. Hatsune freaked out and panicked. What was she to do? She crawled back into her bed and hid under the covers.

"Guess she's not here.." Otonashi sighed and walked off, heading back to the SSS clubroom to see if anything's going on, since the sports meeting did not involve him.

"Yuzuru.. Onii-chan.."

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><p>Author's Note :<p>

Hopefully you guys are still enjoying this story! I know I had a fun time writing it! :D


	4. A God, An Angel, A Boy, And A Sister

For a few weeks now, Hatsune had been skipping classes. Even the entergetic Yui had a hard time dealing with her friend, but there was only so much she could do. The former Student Council President had Yui bring Hatsune her meals everyday, since Yui was the only person she's ever seen Hatsune with.

Even though her intentions are to help people, Kanade Tachibana is often mistaken as a bad person. Just because she holds the position of being a Student Council President, well.. she _was_ the Student Council President, until someone messed with her test results and made her fail every subject she studied so hard for.

Kanade lacked experience in dealing with people, since she spent most of her life in the hospital due to her heart disease. She never talked about her past with anyone, even to those she considers her friends. It had been so long since she first arrived here.

They never counted dates in the Afterlife school, since it didn't really matter, with them being dead and all, but it was just like a life of a school student. Five days of classes, and two days of freedom.

Students were allowed to do anything on the free time, but Kanade had to manage everything that has to do with the students. Complaints, requests, club admission forms, and so on. It was the daily life of the Student Council President. She didn't really enjoy it, but it wasn't so bad. It kept her busy.. most of all, it kept her from thinking about her loneliness.

If there was anyone who would be familiar with the students disappearing, it would be Kanade. Sure, some people think that it would be bad to pass on, since there wasn't a hundred percent guarantee that they would be reborn as a human, but she was determined to help those who wanted to pass on. Over the long period of time she spent here, she's made friends. Friends who eventually moved on, leaving her, over and over again. That was the sole reason as to why she does not have any friends. She didn't want to experience the excruciating feeling of someone leaving her anymore.

Kanade did feel sorry for Hatsune though. Usually, when people first end up here in the Afterlife School, they would only remember bits and pieces of their previous lives. Slowly, they'll start to remember the events that caused them to come here. To seek the things they never managed to seek, to accomplish the things they never accomplished while they were alive.

All she wanted to do was help, and yet, so many are trying to rebel against her, thinking that she's some kind of Angel that's sent by God to keep an eye out for them.

"If there ever was a God.." Kanade would often think out loud, though her voice was usually too quiet for anyone to notice, "I'd be grateful to him.

She had never met God, unlike Yurippe and the others assumed, but the thought of meeting Him did amuse her. She was given a chance at life once. Even if it did not last long, it gave her hope. It made her realize that there were more people out there who have it worse than she did.

She would often look out the window and gaze up at the starry night sky, praying in a melodic voice, showing her appreciation. Not just to God, but to the one who gave her that chance at life. The one who literally gave her his heart. Yes, she knew who he was, but she had to wait for the right time to tell him. She felt bad though.. the same guy who saved her once, had to be the one to save her again.

For now, she had other things to worry about. With a sigh, she set her thoughts aside and headed to class as usual.

* * *

><p>Otonashi was late for the usual club meeting, but he was shocked to see barricades surrounding the clubroom, complete with a sign that said 'No Trespassing Allowed'.<p>

"Umm.." A couple stood behind Otonashi. They looked normal enough, nothing too special about them. She had hazel brown eyes and reddish brown hair that was almost identical to Hatsune and himself, but it had a darker shade. The guy, on the other hand, looked like a delinquent. His blue hair was messed up in various parts. The look on his face didn't fare so well either. It seemed to give off an aura that said, 'Stay away from my girl, or else.'

"If you're looking for your friends.." The girl spoke, "I saw the new President escorting them away somewhere."

"New.. President?" Otonashi scratched his head. He knew about the guy, but he seemed like an NPC who obeyed orders from Kanade. Not much of a rebel, but.. "Do you have any idea where?"

"Umm.." The girl looked like she had a hard time talking to people other than her boyfriend, since she kept shifting around, "I'm sorry, I don't really know.. but..I think.. I think your friends are fine. He's new.. so he can't possibly have that much authority yet.."

Otonashi nodded and thanked the couple before heading off to class, since the bell had already rung. He hoped to see his friends in class safe and sound. Could they have underestimated what the new President was capable of?

After Otonashi ran off, the girl flicked his boyfriend on his forehead.

"What was that for?" The guy rubbed the spot where she hit, "I didn't even said anything to the guy!"

"Hmph!" The girl pouted and crossed her arms, "You don't have to give that look to every boy who talks to me!"

The dude blushed lightly and scratched the back of his head, "Well I uhh.. I'm just uhh.."

"Seriously.. You know I only want to be with you and nobody else.." She held her pouty expression, but her tomato-ey red face didn't convice her boyfriend that she was even the slightest bit angry.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." The boy kissed her on her cheek and held her hands, "I'll buy you a few dangos during lunchtime to make it up to you, alright?"

The girl did not even try to contain her excitement, quickly yelling out, "DANGO!"

* * *

><p>Finally, Hatsune stepped out of her room for the first time in days after isolating herself from everyone. Having her memories come back all of a sudden was too much of a shock for her to handle. She wanted to run to her brother and tell him everything. She wanted him to hug her and recognize her face. She wanted him to remember her.. But if she told him, would he experience the same amount of suffering she felt? No. She couldn't do that to her own brother. He had to remember everything himself.<p>

The last thing she wanted to do was head to class. She needed some air, so she headed up to the rooftop. She wasn't the least bit surprised when she found him standing near the railing, gazing at the horizon.

"You're supposed to be in class once you get better, Hatsune." Even though Naoi didn't even turn his head to glance at her, he knew who she was, since the both of them had a habit of skipping classes. Naoi had an excuse, since he was the Vice President. Now that he was the President, he doesn't even have to attend classes anymore, unlike Kanade, who chose to attend.

"I'm not." She admitted. She wanted to just curl up into a ball and cry, but she knew how bad Naoi was when he's dealing with crying girls, so she resisted. "But your hypnotism worked.. just like you said it would.."

"Your memories returned, huh.." Naoi didn't seem to happy about it, but since she asked him to do it, he reluctantly agreed. "I'm sorry, but.. I didn't expect it to shock you that badly."

Hatsune forced a smile when she noticed the genuine caring expression on Naoi's face, "Naoi, I'm glad you helped me. I was the one who asked you to do it, so please, don't feel guilty about it. In fact, I should be the one thanking you instead.. so thank you.." She didn't know where she got that confidence boost from, but she blurted it out. Of course, her face was flushed with red.

"You know, I actually wish that everyone was as understanding as you, Hatsune." Naoi adjusted his cap and stuck his hands into his pockets, "But there's a bunch of students rebelling against me, for I am God."

Hatsune pouted and walked over to Naoi, right before kicking him from behind, sending him plunging down to the ground. Five minutes later, Naoi woke up to Hatsune poking his nose with a tree branch. "What was that for?" He yelled.

"My foot slipped." Hatsune smiled like an angel, hiding a mischievious grin, "Naoi, I have a favor to ask.. if you don't mind.."

"Well, considering you just kicked me off the top of the school building, I'll pass on that." He got up and cleaned the dust off his clothes. Lucky for him there wasn't any blood, as it would've taken a hell of a hard time to clean up.

Hatsune didn't want to do it, but she used her own version of the hypnotism. She looked Naoi right in the eyes and pouted, even whimpering a little. A perfect execution of the infamous Puppy Dog Eyes.

Naoi had no choice. It was either: One, accept her request, or two, be overwhelmed by complete and utter cuteness and suffer a slow death by nosebleeding. Even being a self-proclaimed God has its limits. "Okay, I'll do it! I'll do it!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hope you guys enjoyed that little extra something I put in this chapter! Free cookies for those who can guess who the couple was!

This story's coming to an end soon though, so thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this! MUCH LOVE!

Oh, and I'm gonna be starting another Angel Beats fanfic soon enough. A lot of people have written about it, but I'm gonna give my own little spin on how the lives of the characters would intercept after they're reborn. I can safely guarantee you that its going to be a lot more different than any of the other fanfics, since mine's going to have a darker tone to it.

So tell me if you guys would like to read it!

As always, thanks for everything.

PEACE!


	5. God's Last Gift

"Hmph.." Naoi was still overwhelmed as to how one person could change that much of his perspective. No, he wasn't talking about Hatsune. That girl was dangerous. Even worse than the self-proclaimed God himself. He was talking about Otonashi. Who knew that just a sentence and a mere hug from him could end up snapping him back into reality?

"I'll acknowledge you. I'll see you for who you are, so stop.. stop doing this."

He started admiring Otonashi after that. No, he certainly did not swing that way, but he couldn't stop his feminine side from bursting out each time he was near him, even though there was a constant reminder of Hatsune's request echoing in his mind. It wasn't anything special, but coming from her, it must have meant something if she wanted him to do it.

"This clothespin.. you pin it.. you pin the clothes, and they don't fall. The clothes.. they don't fall onto the dirty ground.. You can use it instead of a paper clip above all else.. It.. its so beautiful.. I'M NOTHING COMPARED TO IT!" Hinata sobbed, tenderly holding onto the tiny clothespin.

After receiving a lecture from Otonashi about how he shouldn't fight back using his hypnotism, he headed outside for a brief moment, buying a can of green tea from the vending machine. That was when he saw Yurippe. She looked like she was spacing out beside the railing as she gazed at the baseball field, but Naoi didn't really care what she was thinking about. Sure, he felt bad after beating her to a bloody pulp the day before, and he did.. somewhat apologize to everyone, but he had to make his move soon.

"I believe your name was Yurippe." Naoi approached the bench behind her and took a seat, crossing his legs, "I'd introduce myself, but you already know who I am. I am God, of course."

"God my ass." Yurippe whispered, waving the insult off as nothing when Naoi asked her to repeat what she said, "Name's Yuri. Hinata gave me that nickname because Yuri was his mother's name, and it stuck with me ever since."

Once again, Naoi didn't care about Yurippe's problems, but she had to be the one who decides, since she was the leader of the SSS, if she agrees to it, it'll give Otonashi the extra push he needs to accept Naoi's offer, or rather, Hatsune's request.

"Listen.. I know I'm not officially a part of your club just yet, but I wanna propose a little something." Naoi took a sip from the can, but his words made Yurippe turn around, which must have meant she was interested.

"I'm listening.."

"As a God, I have to look after my loyal human subjects, right?" Even though Naoi was being totally serious about it, Yurippe couldn't help but stifle a laugh, which came out as a tiny cough instead.

"As idiotic as that sounds, I'm still listening. So get to the point." Yurippe folded her arms, leaning against the railing.

Naoi resisted the urge to hypnotize Yurippe, but instead kept his cool, since he didn't want to make Otonashi angry. "I was saying, that as God, I want to help people." Naoi hoped that Yurippe was smart enough to know what he meant. "I can hypnotize people, maybe I could help them regain their memories."

Yurippe thought about it for a moment, and a lightbulb seemed to have lit up in her head. She was smart, that's for sure, but even the smartest of people sometimes experience a moment of airheadedness.

"Anyone in particular that I, God, could lend a hand to?" Naoi waited for her to think it through. She seemed hesitant, but Naoi assured her that nothing would go wrong, as it has worked before on other people. "They'll experience the same thing that most of us who have regained our memories have to go through. Some worse than others."

There was a slight change in the expression on Yurippe's face, like she was debating whether it was a good idea or not to let a person have their memories back. If she had the chance, she'll get rid of hers in a heartbeat.

30 minutes.. she thought. Everything ended in 30 minutes.

"So what do you say?" Naoi waved a hand in front of her eyes, awaiting her answer.

"There's only one person in the SSS who hasn't regained his memories." Yurippe deducted. She was still hesitant about the offer, but it was really up to him if he wanted to remember. "Otonashi."

"Then could you at least help pass that offer onto him?" Naoi finished the rest of his green tea and threw the can into the recycle bin, "It'll be a waste if he really wishes to remember, but doesn't know that he has an opportunity to."

"Why don't you ask him?" Yurippe placed her hands on her hips, "You're the one who made the offer after all. You should be the one telling him that."

"I would, but as God, I have too many things to do." Naoi started heading towards the Student Council Room, where piles upon piles of reports were awaiting him. "Just come to my office if he accepts."

* * *

><p>Hatsune sat in the library, reading through a pile of the new mangas that arrived just a few hours ago. Usually, she would be ecstatic, but for some reason, she seemed a little depressed. Maybe she made the wrong decision to ask Naoi to help Yuzuru remember his past, and she knew it was selfish too, but she wanted him to remember. She had remember everything thanks to Naoi's hypnotism, so she knew he was trustworthy. To be honest, she didn't really feel like meeting her brother again, but she wanted to help him, like he helped her when she was alive. She felt really bad that his life was wasted on taking care of her in the hospital everyday, working enough just to buy her mangas and occasionally a few gifts. If he wasn't her brother, Yuzuru would've probably been a successful college student instead of a dropout. He would've lived a happier life.<p>

Groaning softly, she laid her head down on the table and closed her eyes. It had been a hard few weeks after she remembered everything. She felt like she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry everytime she remembered the moments before her death. Not because she had died, but because she had such a loving brother. Even if he didn't take her out of the hospital that night, she would've died eventually. Her illness had been getting worse and worse with each passing day, and she was just glad to be able to see the Christmas lights with her brother.

"Well you seem down." A familiar voice came from across her seat, and Hatsune hoped that it wasn't who she thought it was, but she knew hoping was useless. "Haven't seen you in a few weeks, what's wrong?"

Yuzuru sat across from her, holding a book on Biology. He was all smiles, so Hatsune figured that Naoi hasn't done what he was supposed to do just yet. A part of Hatsune wanted to scream out how much she missed him, but she kept quiet about it.

"I'm fine.." She lied, "Just a little stressed out from the exams, that's all."

"Well that's not a very good lie." Yuzuru didn't know why, but he automatically saw through her lie. It felt awkward, but that's how it was. "Its okay if you don't wanna talk about it, I won't bug you about it."

"You haven't changed one bit.."

"I'm sorry, what?" Yuzuru looked up from his book. Its funny how he hasn't noticed the similarities between the both of them. Same hair color, same eye color, but no one really notices tiny details like that anyways.

"Umm.. it was nothing.. nothing at all." Hatsune laughed nervously, "Its just.. I sometimes mumble things when I'm tired, that's all. Yup, that's all. I think I should go back to my room and rest, that'll help." Hatsune started to get up, but Yuzuru pulled her back down, almost causing Hatsune to yelp out in surprise.

"Sorry, but.. " Yuzuru loosened his grip, "Its just.. you know you can talk to me whenever you feel like it, right? I'm not hard to find, really. Most of the time I'm just in the SSS clubroom on the third floor."

"I'll.. keep that in mind.." Hatsune was on the verge of tears, but she still gave him a smile, "Thank you, Yu.. I mean.. Otonashi.. Really, thank you."

To his surprise, Hatsune went up to him and gave him a hug. Yuzuru could've sworn he heard her say that she missed him, but he dismissed it as his imagination, but he hugged her back, of course.

* * *

><p>Otonashi felt a little happier after that. It was only a short time after he arrived here in the Afterlife School, but he finally felt like he belonged somewhere. Like he had a purpose. First, he managed to get a little closer to Kanade, while managing to convince the SSS that she wasn't their enemy anymore. Secondly, he helped Naoi get himself together, which wasn't a hard thing to do, but it saved that act along saved the SSS from impending doom. And last but not least, he managed to talk to Hatsune. Even though it was weird, he felt a familiar connection between them when they hugged. It was warm and cozy, even if he has no idea what it means.<p>

He wasn't looking ahead of him while he walked, and that was when he bumped into Yurippe. "Oops.. sorry. I wasn't looking. Are you heading to the clubroom?"

"Actually, Otonashi, there's.. something I want to talk to you about." Yurippe had a worried look on her face which sort of concerned Otonashi, "But let's talk somewhere private." Yurippe walked ahead, until she was in an old classroom that wasn't used anymore.

Otonashi followed her in, still clueless about the situation. A table was placed between two chairs in the room. Yurippe had Otonashi sit on one of the chairs.

"How would you feel if I said there's a way for you to remember your past?" Yurippe stood there, not looking Otonashi in the eyes, "Would you go for it?"

That question surprised him as much as Hatsune's hug did, "There's a way? How?"

"That's where I come in." Naoi, with his hands folded behind his back, walked into the room. He took his seat on the other vacant chair and looked Otonashi in the eyes, "My hypnotism could help a person regain his or her memories as well, though, its not guaranteed that you'll remember everything from your past. Maybe some important events, maybe your name."

"I'll.. be able to remember?" Just as Naoi thought, Otonashi looked at Yurippe for assurance.

"Its your choice, Otonashi." Yurippe said grimly, "Its not a guarantee that your memories will be happy. Most of us here.. we lived tragic lives. I've already told you about mine.."

"I know that." He pounded his fist on the table, "But I'll still be able to remember. Rather than just bits and pieces, I'd rather have a tragic memory of my life than have nothing."

"You sure about that, Otonashi?" Naoi asked one more time, "There's no backing out once I start."

"I'm sure. Go ahead, Naoi. Show me my past."

* * *

><p>Author's Note :<p>

Last chapter will be out by this week, so keep a look out for it!

Oh and about the new Angel Beats series I've been working on. IT COMES OUT TOMORROW! YAY :D

As always, all reviews and reads are highly appreciated

Thank you all for taking your time off to read this!

PEACE!


	6. Finale 12

"You.. okay?" Yurippe asked, her voice barely audible, even if the three of them were alone inside an empty room.

"Yeah.." Otonashi kept his head down. Staring at his feet in silence, he didn't feel like talking much right now. "Could you guys.. give me a moment alone? Just.. I just.. need some time alone."

Naoi instantly felt bad. It was his fault after all. If he hadn't gave Yurippe the idea of helping Otonashi regain his memories, he definitely wouldn't be acting that way. Just as he wanted to say something, Yurippe patted his shoulders and pointed to the door.

"But.."

"Let's go." Yurippe gave Naoi a look that clearly stated that, 'If you're not leaving, I'll drag you outside. Dead or alive.'

"I understand.." Naoi unwillingly walked out of the room. After closing the door, Yurippe held him up for a little chat.

"You know how it feels when someone remembers." Yurippe glanced inside through the windows. Otonashi seemed to be in tears, but he wasn't crying. He didn't make any sort of noise. It must have been something bad to cause him to silently weep like that. "Just give him some time to think it out, okay? Whether he copes with it or not.. its up to him."

"As a God.. I feel responsible for this." Naoi sighed, taking off his hat and fiddling with it. "Maybe I shouldn't have given you the idea-"

"Its NOT your fault. And you're NOT God!" Yurippe resisted the urge to grab his hat and repeatedly smack him with it, "Having his memories back is a whole lot better than having no recollection of anything, no matter how bad it is."

As Yurippe left after that, she almost bumped into someone. The girl, however, had a familiar look to Yurippe, but she didn't say anything to her. She also noted that Naoi seemed a little uneasy when he saw the girl, but once again, she didn't say anything. She was the type of person who likes to watch things happen from the sidelines, but also getting herself moderately involved. With that, she started heading back to the clubroom, where most of the members would be wondering where they were. She would also have to make a formal announcement about Otonashi's memories, and that they should all take it easy on him for the time being.

* * *

><p>Of course Naoi started trembling a little when he saw Hatsune approaching. Instead of having her walk to him, he pulled her aside, not wanting to give Otonashi too big of a shock after he just remembered his past. Plus, after seeing Yurippe's signature grin, he definitely wanted to be somewhere alone where he could talk to Hatsune without revealing anything. So, he pulled her hand and ran straight towards the rooftop.<p>

The both of them were breathing heavily after they've arrived. Hatsune was too out of breath to even say anything, but after several minutes of resting..

"Why did you do that to me? You know I could've died because I have asthma! Not that it matters because I'm already dead, but I wouldn't have liked to die again!" Taking a gulp of air between sentences, she kept shooting out words from her mouth like a rapid fire machine gun, "Dying isn't fun, especially when you're in the afterlife already! It still hurts! And I've read enough mangas to know what a person like you would do to innocent little me when I'm passed out! If you ever did that, I'll... I'll.." Her face flushed bright red due to her train of thought while Naoi just stood there, unsure of what kind of response he should make.

"Umm.. okay." Naoi leaned against one of the railings and folded his arms, "Look. The reason I brought you here is cause.. well.. I did what you asked me to do."

"Die in a hole?" Hatsune thought aloud, and it finally dawned on Naoi that Hatsune is not as smart as he thought she was. Or maybe she was just a total airhead. Whichever works.

"NO!" Naoi straightened his uniform and placed his hat back onto his head. Yes, even if he just had a near death experience because his legs were too wimpy for running, he still had to look like the model student, since he was, after all, the Student Council President. "The 'other' thing you asked me to do. You know, to Otonashi?"

"Yes?" Was her automatic response, since she heard her name being called after all, but it took her a moment to realize what Naoi asked, "Oh! I mean.. uh.. umm.. yeah. Um.. did it work?"

No one was safe from the disease of airheadedness, even the self proclaimed God himself. But it didn't take long for Naoi to understand why Hatsune would help Otonashi. "It worked. Your boyfriend remembers everything now, thanks to I, God, of course."

"B-b-b-b-b-BOYFRIEND?" Hatsune was so startled that she immediately shoved Naoi over the railing he was leaning on, dropping him head first all the way to the ground.

Naoi felt a sense of deja-vu after waking up. His blood-soaked clothes clung to his body, which made him feel sticky all over. Out of nowhere, a kick struck hit his right cheek so hard that it could've dislocated his jawbone. It might have, but he didn't know. Wounds heal instantly, anyway.

"He's not my BOYFRIEND, you IDIOT!" Gazing at the direction where the kick came from, Hatsune stood there, redness flushed all over her cheeks.

"If he's not your boyfriend.." Naoi rubbed his swollen cheek, "W.. who is he to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hatsune groaned, silently muttering, "He's a total idiot." over and over again, then she pointed to her hair, "We even have the same hair color! What do you think?"

"That.. you two are color coordinated?" Naoi guessed, still not getting the point of this. He was God, after all, he need not know any of these irrelevant details. And that was when another kick landed on the other side of his cheek.

Before he slipped into unconsciousness once again, he heard Hatsune say, "Allow me to introduce myself once more, Naoi Yamato. My name is Hatsune Otonashi. The guy you've known as Otonashi until now, is my brother, Yuzuru."

Naoi wanted to shout out loud in disbelief, but he couldn't. Instead, he passed out cold right then and there.

* * *

><p>Otonashi didn't know what to think anymore. He sat in silence, isolated from everyone. The memories hit him hard. His life.. his entire life revolved around nothing.. nothing but taking care of his sister.<p>

"Hatsune.." Otonashi wiped his tears with the sleeve of his jacket, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. It seemed cruel that he could only remember until that night. Christmas Eve. The flashback stopped right after Hatsune.. passed. There wasn't even a funeral or anything. It just stopped. So because of that, he couldn't help but wonder if his life ended as soon as his sister's did. He might have commited suicide earlier on, but he was once told that people who killed themselves can never reach this place.

In retrospect, Otonashi felt that he was solely responsible for his sister's death. The doctors, all the nurses, even the hospital staff, tried to stop him from bringing Hatsune out. Everyone tried to warn him, but he still took her outside.

"Thank you.. Yuzuru Onii-chan.." Were the last words he heard from her before her death. She kept thanking him over and over, and each time Yuzuru remembered that.. frail.. weak voice, he felt as if he'd been stabbed in the chest by Kanade each time.

Speaking of which, Otonashi almost jumped out of his pants when he realized that he wasn't really alone in the room. Kanade stood in a corner, looking confused and worried at the same time. It was the first time Otonashi's ever seen her like this, but it made him snap back to reality

"What are you doing here?" Otonashi asked Kanade, who was still standing in the corner. She looked like she wanted to approach him, but was too scared to. "I'm sorry.. umm.. come on, have a seat. Its.. fine.. really."

Kanade hesitated, but she walked over to the empty chair and sat down. Even though she didn't speak, Otonashi still felt a little better. He didn't exactly knew what to say to her. Its not like there's an awkward silence between them.

"You were crying.." Kanade finally spoke, her voice as gentle as a hundred whispers. Pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket, she leaned forward and wiped Otonashi's eyes.

Otonashi could've sworn he felt his cheeks go red hot, but Kanade didn't seem to notice. "I was just.. my.. memories came back.."

Kanade folded her handkerchief after she was done and kept it back into her pocket. She still had her worried look, but now that Otonashi had stopped crying, she seemed a little relieved. "And how were they?"

Otonashi wasn't sure whether he should talk to her about his memories, but he wanted to trust Kanade. After the SSS successfully made Kanade step down as the Student Council President, Otonashi realized that she wasn't even a threat to begin with. He felt bad when he realized that Kanade had been alone all this time, without any friends. So he told her. From start to finish. Right up to the point when he told her about the death of Hatsune.

There was a tinge of sadness in Kanade's eyes after she listened to the story, but much to Otonashi's surprise, she patted his head, "Its not sad. You gave her a purpose in life. You should be happy."

Coming from Kanade, Otonashi really didn't expect that, but he sighed. "Its my fault, you know? If I didn't take her out of the hospital that night, she wouldn't have.."

Kanade sat back down and spoke in a calm tone, "It was a life worth living. I think she was thankful because you were able to be there for her. And you should be thankful because she gave you a purpose in life."

Otonashi looked out the window. The sun had already started to set, and soon, it'll be nightfall. "Yeah.." He smiled a little, noticing that Kanade was watching the sunset with sparkling eyes, "I'm.. thankful."

* * *

><p>Author's Note :<p>

Since I have too much to write, I have decided to make this a 2 part finale!

Mostly because I feel like I could make this a little better, even by a tiny bit.

Plus, I always thought that there was too little development in Otonashi and Kanade's relationship, so I took the opportunity to fill in the gap of the episodes!

As always, thank you guys for your reads! And reviews are HIGHLY appreciated as well!

PEACE!


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